Plant-support for flower-pots



(No Model.)

. P. DOLF. PLANT SUPPORT FOR FLOWER POTS.

No. 597,841 Patented Jan. 25. 1898.

UNITED STATES PAT NT PETER now, or MARQUETTE, MICHIGAN.

PLANT-SUPPORT FOR FLOWER-POTS.

ilPEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 597,841, dated January25, 1898.

Application filed July 21, 1897- $erial No. 645,308. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PETER DO'LF, a resident of Marquette, county ofMarquette, State of Michigan, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Plant-Supports for Flower-Pots, of which I do declarethe following to be a full, clear, and exact description, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of thisspecification.

The present invention has for its object to provide improved means forsustaining the ladders or lattices used in flower-pots for supportingthe vines or growing plants therein; and the invention consists in-thenovel features of construction hereinafter described, ill ustratc d inthe accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the claims atthe end of this specification.

Figure 1 is a view in central vertical section through a flower-potembodying my invention, the ladder or support being shown in elevation.Fig. 2 is a View showing the parts in side elevation. Fig. 3 is a planview, upon an enlarged scale, of the flower-pot shown in Fig. l. Fig. ais an enlarged detail View of one of the clips for the sockets orsupports whereby the ladder is sustained. Fig. 5 is a view in sideelevation of the part shown in Fig. 4.. Fig. 6 is a view of the upperpart of the flowerpot, showing the retaining-band in cross-section andthe socket or holder in elevation. Fig. 7 is a view in horizontalsection through the clip and socket that sustain the ladder. Fig. 8 is aplan view of a flowerpot with a modified construction of holder or band.Fig. 9 is a detail view, in side elevation, of a part of the band shownin Fig. 8..

Fig. 10 is a plan view of a modification, show ing the band arrangedupon the interior of the pot. Fig. 11 is a view in central verticalsection through a flower-pot with the band arranged upon the inside.

In providing flower-pots with ladders whereon the plants or vines may betrained or sup-' ported it is the common practice simply to insert theends of the ladders into the soil contained within the pots. Thisarrangement is objectionable not only because of the danger of breakingthe vines when inserting the ladders, but because no adequate orsufficientlyrigid support is afforded for the ladder.

My present invention provides a simple,

cheap, and eifective means whereby a ladder may be quickly attached to aflower-pot and removed therefrom andis attended with many advantageswhich will readily suggest themselves to those familiar with this classof work.

A designates a flower-pot the upper edge of which is shown as formedwith the usual annular shoulder a. In the preferred form of my inventionI place around the shoulder a a retainingband B, the ends of which bandmay be connected together in any suitable or convenient manner.Preferably one end of the band is formed with a series of holes I),while the opposite end of the band is provided with a stud or pin 1),adapted to enter any one of the holes I). The stud or pin 12 may beformed or attached directly to the end of the band or may be formed upona loop or buckle that is connected to the end of the band, as shown inFig. 3 of the drawings.

G designates a sheet-metal clip of the form shown more particularly inFigs. 4c, 5, and 6 of they drawings. In the clip 0 is out a slot 0,through which are passed the ends dot the socket or holder D, that isadapted to receive one of the ends of the ladder XV. After the ends (1have been passed through the slots 0 they will be bent outwardly, asshown in Figs.

4 and 5, in order to retain the socket orholder D securely'in place. Theclip G is shown as formed with the upper arms 0 and c and with the lowerarms c and 0 The upper and lower arms 0 and c serve to connect the clampO to the band B, and these arms 0 and will be bent around the edges ofthe band B, as clearly shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings. The upper andlower arms a and c serve to hold the parts in position upon theflowerpot, and the upper arm 0' will be bent over the top of the pot, asshown, while the lower arm 0 will be bent inwardly beneath the shoulderor offset a at the top of the pot.

Preferably the ladder W' will be provided near each of its ends with anoffsetor enlargement w, adapted to rest upon the top of the socket orholder I), and by preference also each socket or holder D will be formedwith an arm 10, that may be turned over the offset w, and thus guardagainst the accidental withdrawal of the ladder -from the socket.

In applying my invention to a flower-pot the ends of the band B will beoverlapped, so that the stud Z) shall pass through one of the holes b.-One of the clips 0 will then be fastened over the lapping portions ofthe band B and another of the clips 0 will be attached to the oppositeside of the band, as clearly seen in Fig. 3 of the drawings. The bandwill then be placed upon the top of the flowerpot, and the upper andlower arms 0' and c of the clip will be bent inwardly, so as to securelyretain the band upon the top of the pot. Each band may be provided withany desired number of clips and sockets or holders.

for the ladder, but two will be sufficient, as the manner of attachingthe clips to the band is such that the clips can be adjusted to anyposition upon the band. This feature of adjusting the clips and socketsor holders for the ladder is highly advantageous, because by suchadjustment the ends of the ladder can be placed so as to mosteffectively support the plants or vines and without danger of injurythereto.

While I have shown what I regard as the preferred embodiment of myinvention, it is manifest that the invention may be carried out in agreat variety of constructions without departing from the spiritthereof. Thus, for example, in Figs. 8 and 9 I have shown a modificationof the invention in which the band B is formed with a series of slots tore ceive the sockets or holders D, and in this form of the invention theclips 0 are omitted and the band is provided with the upperand lowerarms B and B adapted to be bent, respectively,over the top and beneaththe shoulder of the flower-pot. This modified form of the inventionaffords a very simple and cheap construction and one whereby the laddermay be sustained in any desired position.

Instead of locating the band B upon the outside of the flower-pot thisband may be placed within the top of the pot, as shown in Figs. 10 and11 of the drawings. 'lNhen the band B is thus arranged, the lower arm 0of the clip 0 may be omitted, and, if desired, the upper arm c of theclip 0 may be formed of such length as to extend outwardly over and downbeneath the shoulder a at the top of the pot, although this is notregarded as essential. I prefer to employ a band B because it not onlyaffords a very secure and rigid means for supporting and retaining thesockets that receive the ends of the ladder, but this band also servesto strengthen the upper portion of the pot and guards against danger ofbreakage. In some instances, however, particularly where shortladdersare used, the clips 0 may be employed without a retaining-band, in

which case the upper and lower arms 0 and c of the clips need notnecessarily be used.

In order to provide a more convenient and effective construction ofladder whereon the vines or plants may be trained, I prefer to form theladder from stiff wire provided at intervals with eyes 20 adapted toreceive adjustable cross-rods W. The eyes w are formed by the bending ofthe wire that constitutes the sides of the ladder, and these eyes willbe of such size that the rods IV may be conveniently inserted into orwithdrawn therefrom, so that the ladder may be furnished with anydesired number of rods and arranged in any convenient position.

The details of construction above described may obviously be modified orvaried within wide limits, and to such details, therefore, I do not wishthe invention to be understood as restricted.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A plant or vine support comprising sockets to receive the ends of aladder and a band whereby such sockets may be connected to the top of aflower-pot, substantially as described.

2. A plant or vine support comprising sockets to receive the ends of aladder, clips to which said sockets are connected, a band for encirclingthe top of the flower-pot and means for retaining said band in positionat the top of the pot, substantially as described.

3. A plant or vine support comprising sockets to receive the ends of aladder, clips to which said sockets are connected, and a band forencircling the top of the pot to which band said clips are adj ustablyconnected, substantially as described.

4. A plant or vine support comprising suitable sockets D to receive theends of a ladder,

clips C to which said sockets are connected, said clips being providedwith arms at their

